


The Weary Never Rest

by CyclonicJet



Series: A Dance of Fire and Flowers [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 12:56:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17162372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyclonicJet/pseuds/CyclonicJet





	The Weary Never Rest

Soft light drifted in through the drawn curtains. The early morning sun had just barely cracked the peaks of the encompassing mountains around them. Lyanna pressed her face gently into Vaelia’s back to shield herself from it.  The slow rise and fall of her chest was eternally reassuring to her. It made her feel safe and secure. It made her feel like she could finally relax and let go of her burdens. It made her feel like she had finally found her home at long last.

Vaelia’s hair ran long down her back. She had been growing it out for some time now, ever since they had settled down in blissed seclusion. Lyanna used it now as a pillow, cradling the side of her head. The warmth coming of her skin was radiant and unearthly pleasant. The fragrance wafting off of her was intoxicating. Lyanna had never felt she could be so content and happy in life.

She reached out with her powers, touching the world around her through her magic. She could feel so many living things around them. Insects and spiders crawling around in the darkness. Rabbits bounding around fields of flowers, and songbirds soaring high above them. She could feel them all and so much more still beyond. It was wondrous.  She cast her net ever further outward, basking in the delights of life that flourished around them. She found joy after joy with each new heartbeat she uncovered. And then she felt something else. Something out of place. She listened to it for a time trying to discern exactly what it was. It almost felt like...

Lyanna’s eyes flicked open and, with unnatural speed, she rose into a sitting position raised her hands defensively in front of her. Without thought she harnessed the full might of her magic and cast a barrier around the cottage. The ray of pure magical energy that had been blazing towards the cottage instead impacted the barrier. The two forces warred with each other, creating a terrible din as magic was pitted against magic. When at last the beam subsided, it was replaced with a barrage of flying boulders. They in turn simply bounced harmlessly off her shield, no more a threat to it then was a fly.

When she was sure that the attack had subsided she lowered the barrier and sprang from the bed. “Lyanna!?” Vaelia cried. “What’s happening!?”

“I don’t know.” she said jumping for the bedroom door. “But I’m going to find out.” She bolted out of the room and into the cottages living room. Raising her hand she summoned Firebrand to her. A burst of orange flames erupted in her hand, quickly coalescing into the form of the blade proper.  As she strode for the door she enveloped herself in white flames, donning her white robes as the took form upon her. At the front door she took only a moment to grab her hat from the stand and afix it atop her brow. Then she gave the door a stern look. It flew open in response.

Stepping outside she was greeted with devastation. Where once a verdant field of flowers had grown, now lay a scorched wasteland of ash. Tracing it with her eyes she followed it back to its source. At its base stood a man.  He looked neither sinister or evil. He looked rather ordinary in fact. Spectacles sat upon the bridge of his nose and he wore what looked like scholar's robes. “Well that most certainly confirms it.” he muttered to himself. He was scrawling inside a notebook in his hand. “I most definitely have the right place.”

Lyanna walked out on to the withered field and levelled Firebrand at him. “I don’t know who you are, or how you found me, but I’m offering this one chance to leave.”

He seemed bemused by that. “Or what?” he drawled.

“I’ll make you leave.” she said darkly, a fierce glower contorting her face.

"Indeed.” he said with a chuckle. “You are everything they said you would be and more I must say.”

“Whose they!?” Lyanna snapped.

“You are an extraordinarily difficult women to track down Lyanna.” he said ignoring her completely. “You would not believe how difficult it was to ascertain the location of this place. You chose your self imposed isolation well indeed.”

“Answer me!” she roared.

“But it has delayed me quite substantially and I no longer have no time to entertain your frivolity.” he continued. He seemed utterly oblivious to her unless he wanted to listen to her. That just made her more angry. “I’m on a quite tight schedule, and finding you alone has already cost me far too much time. So I’d appreciate your cooperation.”

Lyanna snarled in response. “You heard her!” came Vaelia’s voice from behind her. “Leave!”

“Ah Vaelia Flower-Dancer.” he smarmed with a slight bow. “ A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“The sentiment isn’t mutual.” she growled. “Now leave!”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” he said in a rather bored tone of voice. “Not without what I came for.”

"I don’t care what you came for!” Lyanna yelled. “You have had your fair warning. Now you will regret not heeding it!” She swished Firebrand diagonally in front of her unleashing a fierce wind, a gale powerful enough to blow a man of his feet.

The man simply raised his hand and lazily flicked it. The wind diverted around him, blowing past harmlessly. “Is this how you entertain all your guests?” he drawled. Lyanna could feel the fury building within her. But before she could act a loud snap echoed loudly through the vale. A roaring flames urged passed her and struck the man dead, enveloping him in its deadly embrace.  Lyanna twisted her head to see a dark gleam in Vaelia’s eyes. She was as mad as she was. This man had come and attacked them in there home. There most sacred and safest of places. This was was as akin to sacrilege as far Vaelia was concerned.

As the inferno blustered itself out the man remained standing there, dusting himself off of the freshly made ashes. “Really now.” he said. “Is there need for such theatrics?”  Something was wrong. No ordinary sorcerer could have repelled Vaelia’s flames like that. Only a voidweaver could do such a thing. But this man was no voidweaver, she could sense as much. The only other way he could have achieved such a feat then was by using…

“How did you find one of those?” she asked in atone that brokered no room for debate.

He smirked. “Perceptive as well I see. Truly remarkable.” he said reaching into his pockets. “Allow me to reward you with the answer.”

He withdrew a black looking orb and held it aloft fro her to see. It was featureless, but even from this distance she could feel the magical energy pulsing through it. “Fascinating things Auraum’s.” he said studying it. “Such power contain in so small a vessel.” 

“Answer me!” Lyanna demanded. Her patience had long since evaporated.

“All in good time.” he said. “But first I must insist we return to the business of my visit.” he said pocketing the object again. “Now if you would be so kind as to-”

Lyanna launched a body binding charm at him. It came so impromptu that the man had had no time to respond. He fell to the ground in a heap as every muscle in his body seized. Then Lyanna squeezed, using the full might of the void’s power to crush him.

“So uncivilised.” he drawled. She constricted his tongue as well. She advanced on him. Once she took the Auraum from him he would be completely at her mercy. His eyes followed as she approached. When she was only a few feet away he suddenly smiled madly at her.

Her eyes widened in response. She had every muscle in his body under control but he had managed to move his mouth. “What-” she began.

The next thing she knew a blast of energy struck her dead in the chest sending her flying backwards into the ground. She lay there stunned. She was dimly aware of Vaelia roaring loudly in fury but was unable to move any of her muscles in response.  Then Vaelia’s loud roaring suddenly abated in an instant, as if someone had clapped her mouth shut. It was followed by the sound of a dull thud. Lyanna was slowly gaining control of her body again, squirming against the paralysis gripping her. But before she could regain mastery of herself the man appeared above her.

“Needs you must make my work so difficult?” he said leaning down to her. “As I said I have a tight schedule to keep and I need you to cooperate with me.”

Lyanna finally got her mouth working again. “What is it you want!?” she spat.

“Is it not obvious?” he said with a slight chuckle. “You!”

* * *

Vaelia watched in horror from the dirt as the man lifted Lyanna into the air magically and left her to hover next to him. His eyes shifted back to look at her, he simply shook his head. “Honestly?” he said tutting. “I expected more.”

He flicked his fingers in her direction and she was abruptly propelled from the ground and launched back through the front door of the cottage. She landed hard on her back and felt the wind knocked out of her. “Lyanna!” she wheezed as hard as she could. She couldn’t scream, she had not the air for it.  The next thing she knew the house quivered around her and then collapsed on top of her. She raised her hand above in her a futile gesture to shield herself. Something hard hit her in the head and the world promptly turned black.


End file.
